Perdida no Tempo (2022)

Entertaining

I feel this series deserves a perfect 10 although many have thought otherwise.

The reason is Jing Chao's outstanding performance as Mu Ze (MZ), the Machiavellian. He was willing to sacrifice his son, wife's family, father and brothers for the sake of the throne.

Xing Fei is relatively unknown to me as I hardly watch modern Chinese TV series. But, I feel XF delivered her line well in this series as Lu An Ran (LAR).

Zhai Zi Lu, as Mu Chuan (MC), is a young actor we should watch from now. His character matured over time in this series which made me feel ZZL deserve a credit for his acting. Although Jing Chao overshadowed him completely in this series.

The storyline is very interesting: LAR time travelled from the moment she died in the fire in her palace. back to her encounter with MZ. This time, she tried to kill MZ by pretending as if he was a river bandit. The attempt failed.
In this life, LAR went straight to the point by proposing to MZ that she was willing to marry him to help him achieve his ambitions. And, he fell for her trick. Her revenge began.

In short, I love watching the scenes between MZ and LAR from Episode 4 onwards. MZ is like a beast to LAR while MC is like a morning dew to her.

Leia Mais

What will you do if you have second chance in life?

I've watched few time travel drama genre, where the main character's soul is trapped in someone else's body, but this is the first time I've come across this genre of drama with a different approach.
This is a drama centered on a woman who goes back 10 years before and still has memories. She returned to the starting point where all the misfortunes that befall her in first life ( I'll use term first life/past life for her original life and second life for her rebirth) had not been occurred. Predictably, she will prevent and avoid all things that can trigger all the suffering and regret in the past. The question is, can she change her destiny? Can she change others?
Strength
The storyline flows smoothly at a good pace. Logical, meaningful and on point dialogues. The acting is at different levels so we will be immersed in life story of each character, especially female lead character, Lu Anran. I'm not a fan of Xing Fei, but I think this is her best performance by far.
The storyline is unpredictable, tense and lots of plot twists. This is a battle of wits between Lu Anran and Muze. The one more observant and adaptable in reading situation and know the opponent's weaknesses will win the battle. Even though Lu Anran has an advantage with her past experienced but in reality there are many secrets and intrigues that she didn't know about in her past life. Moreover, her opponent's is the scheming, calculative and manipulative Mu Ze.
Weakness
Writing inconsistency. It's a bit confusing what message the writer wants to convey, but it must be appreciated that all the bad characters get their punishment.
The male leads (Mu Chuan and Mu Ze) act out of character in later episodes, one of them previously described as having a calculating and careful disposition becoming rush in and committing reckless actions, and even though his character had development but the writer didn't give him a second chance.
my thoughts
I thought the ending was quite logical and I had expected they would ended it that way.
For a drama with low budget and poor cgi, this is quite extraordinary and I enjoy every story that is given in every episode. Rarely do we see a Chinese drama that has a good plot with the same pace from beginning to end and no unnecessary filler but only focuses on the main characters . If only the writer explained the reason why Muze fell in love with Lu Anran and Lu Anran's attitude could soften to him in the end then it would be even more perfect.
Credit to Jing Chao who stole the show with his superb performance.
The way they handled his character in final episode made me wonder if they should change the title to "fall of a Muze" lol. So did Lu Anran success? Did her fate change in second life?
If you like to watch time travel, rebirth drama genre with revenge plot, actors and actressess who can delivered their roles and don't mind with less romance scenes, i suggest you to watch this one.

Leia Mais

Can you really change your fate when given a second chance?

Completed: 9/28/2022 - 8.25 rounding up to 8.5

Choosing to watch this drama is because of Jing Chao. I’ve liked him since his role as General Fu in “Princess Silver”. I am glad that he did not disappoint and is the star of the show. The story of rebirth could be a tricky one. It could become repetitive and boring when not done right, but I think “Lost Track of Time” did a pretty decent job.

What I Like:

1. Jing Chao - Without a doubt, this drama would not be the same without Jing Chao as Mu Ze. Even though he was listed as the second male lead, he shines the brightest amongst the whole cast. He might not give me second lead syndrome in his role here (he did in “Princess Silver”) but he has a commanding presence and I can’t take my eyes off him when he’s on the screen. He has great chemistry with both the male lead and female lead. While I pity his character, I am glad that he was not portrayed as a cartoonish villain, but one who is smart and cunning.

2. Scheming Duel - I enjoy watching how Lu An Ran (FL) and Mu Ze try to outsmart each other every step of the way. When you think one of them has the upper hand, the tides change. The drama keeps me thinking if Lu An Ran really can successfully seek revenge and change the fate of everyone. I particularly enjoy the first ⅔ of the drama.

3. Brotherhood - Mu Chuan and Mu Ze’s tight bond is the best relationship in this drama, outshining all the romantic storylines. I am glad we get an extended and deeper look into their childhood life and why they become each other’s favorite person in the world in the rebirth timeline. Despite having very different personalities and goals in life, and Mu Chuan questioning his brother’s true character, I am happy with this bromance all the way till the end.

4. General Plot - Though I still don’t know why Lu An Ran was given a second chance, I enjoy how the rebirth story is told. At first, I worry about repetitiveness (like time lapse or time travel storylines) but am pleasantly surprised that the drama is able to create different storylines for different characters, though whether their fate was changed or not is the big question.


What I am have Mixed Feelings or Don’t like:

1. Main Romance - It’s unfortunate I don’t really feel the chemistry between Lu An Ran and Mu Chuan. And because of this, I am not moved by the angst and their sufferings. Mu Chuan, on paper, is the perfect guy. He’s caring, sweet, thoughtful, considerate and supportive. He doesn’t force Lu An Ran to disclose all her secrets, but patiently waits for her. I love the meaning behind the rice crop. He would make my list of Ideal Man. I am not sure if it’s because of the acting of both Xing Fei and Zhai Zi Lu, something is missing. I think both actors did a fine job, but not great. Xing Fei’s emotionless face is bland at times. Zhai Zi Lu is not animated or sweet enough. Or maybe because Jing Chao is just too good that they pale in comparison.

2. Dubbing - It’s unfortunate that none of the actors used their own voice in this drama. Everyone is dubbed by voice actors, and the voices are not well synced with how the mouths move. Most of the voices are fine, but the most annoying is the high-pitched voice of the maid, Ling Xi. Her character is already quite annoying and her dubbed voice makes it worse.

3. Production - I understand that this is not a big budget production. However, even a mid-budget production should be able to use a green screen effectively. There are scenes when the characters are in the grass fields or rice fields, and you can obviously see that the background is fake. And what is up with the fuzzy, slow motion camera work? I can understand if you’re trying to distinguish one timeline from another, but there are some regular scenes where such ‘unique’ fuzzy camerawork is not justified. The costumes and set design are of decent quality and on par with the budget. I do enjoy the songs in this drama. They are not overplayed and the music complements the scenes very well. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the OST on Spotify as I really enjoy the song, 今夕何夕 by Xian Zi 弦子.

4. Inconsistent pacing and scenes - For the most part, this drama has pretty good pacing, especially the first ⅔ of the drama. But towards the end, it becomes inconsistent. At times it seems like everything happens too fast, other times, I feel that it drags. I wonder if the drama would be better if it’s only 24-26 episodes long and not 30. There are also a few scenes that are inconsistent with a character or illogical, e.g. 1) a prisoner tortured and still in possession of a dagger, 2) a cautious character disclosing somewhat confidential info to another character, 3) people not running out of a room when there’s a fire and explosion erupted but continue to roll out subsequent events.


Overall, this is a pretty decent drama and should have a higher rating than 7.7. I quite enjoy it even though the romance did not move me as much as I wanted. I am giving this a a generous 8.25 (rounding up to 8.5 because I love Jing Chao, and I want to pull the average rating up a little). I think the current ending is realistic and good enough. I don’t think we need a special episode with an alternate (unrealistic) ending.

Leia Mais

Different Kind of Rebirth Drama/Smart & Strong FL

This article wants to talk about my views on the ending of Fleeting Years and a little analysis of the emotions between the three

In this article, I want to talk about my views on the ending of Fleeting Years and a little bit of analysis of the emotions between the three of them. By the way, I will also analyze the reason why An Ran Mu Chuan needs five years to heal his wounds, and why Mu Ze let Mu Chuan know himself personally. s reason. No writing, just some ideas.

 

Watching this drama, I love it more than I regret it. Of course, I regret that An Ran and Mu Chuan did not interact more in the ending, and the logic of the story is weak in some places, but I can't deny the brilliance of this drama. Just as Mu Chuan treated Mu Ze, even if he denied his unscrupulous practice to achieve his goals, he would never deny his goodness to him. We who watch the drama, where we miss the fleeting year, where is the good for fleeting year.

I can understand the anger of the PS sisters very well. I just want to share some of my own thoughts here. We seek common ground while reserving differences. If you have various opinions or simply want to complain about this drama, you are welcome to leave a message. I really hope to chat with the sisters who have followed the drama together~ Please light spray~

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​Rebirth should be a cool article, no one stipulates that. (Of course, if it is Shuangwen, it will be very relieved to look at, I also like it )
But the setting of Fuliu Nian is not the case. At the cost of her broken family, betrayal by her lover, and such a tragic first life, An Ran got the opportunity to restart her second life.
However, since God gave her a second chance, it would be unfair to those who have only one memory. So Enron's second life did not have any halo blessing. And if you want to change your life against the sky, you must pay a price, which is the regret that An Ran will leave no matter what he chooses. After An Ran's rebirth, she only had two wishes, to protect her family and protect Mu Chuan.
In her family, she alone protected only her father, and even her younger brother was rescued by Mu Chuan. Is she useless? no. It's just that it's too difficult to change your life against the sky. Marrying into the Qing Prince's Mansion, she lost her freedom and love, and even became a child, she also lost her fertility, just for the safety of her family. Thinking about it carefully, every time An Ran wanted to avoid the repeat of her fate, she was almost hurting herself and fighting for her life. This is the price. An Ran saw it thoroughly, so she was determined and willing.


Until Mu Chuan knew the truth, rewrote her fate for her, and traded her freedom for An Ran's freedom. That was the price Mu Chuan paid.


Mu Chuan, the white moonlight in An Ran's heart. It was also An Ran who was reluctant to be covered in dust. An Ran refused to let Mu Chuan know the truth. Maybe she thought that at the end of her subversive ending, he lost his freedom and became the crown prince. She knew that his ambition was not in the court, so she protected him and refused to let him know the truth. But An Ran had forgotten that he also wanted to protect her. In the last life, An Ran was imprisoned within a square inch, and Mu Chuan traveled all over the mountains and rivers, spreading An Ran rice all over the place. But in this life, fate is reversed, he is trapped in the court, she walks all over the rivers, builds granaries, and realizes their wishes. In this life, Mu Chuan was able to express his intentions. And An Ran's sincerity towards him gave Mu Chuan, who only dared to pay silently in the last life, to stand up and protect her. Since his position is firm, for Mu Chuan, in order to protect An Ran, no matter what he loses, it is not a pity. Although Mu Chuan lost his freedom, he regretted it, but he had no regrets.


And the third person in this vortex of fate, Mu Ze, is the cause of An Ran's rebirth and the result of An Ran's subversion of the ending. Mu Ze's death was inevitable in Enron's second life. However, the person who caused this inevitability was the emperor. His eccentricity and indifference caused Mu Ze's paranoia and madness. Some sisters said that they hope that in the perfect ending, Mu Ze will be influenced, sit on the throne of God, and the hero and heroine will join hands in the countryside. I hope so too, but it's not possible. Only the emperor can influence Mu Ze. Mu Ze's character and hatred for the emperor made it impossible for him to beg for mercy to the emperor. And his paranoia can never be shaken by a few words. Perhaps there is some reason for pity on his tragic life experience and tragic ending, and the screenwriter gave him the fullest portrayal. Among them, the brotherhood with Mu Chuan moved me the most. That's why I think Mu Chuan and An Ran need five years to heal their wounds.


When parting, An Ran said that Mu Chuan's pain would not be less than her own. An Ran really understood Mu Chuan. An Ran's pain came from the injuries brought by the two Muzes. And when An Ran II decided to take revenge, she had already let go of her past feelings, and Mu Ze's death was her relief. But the damage of the two lives will not disappear because of this, she needs time to filter the pain for her. What about Mu Chuan? We see how Mu Ze treats Mu Chuan to know how deeply Mu Chuan and Mu Ze feel. Just take one example. When Mu Ze was planning to blow up the emperor, he knew that he would be a gangster to save Mu Chuan, but he did not hesitate to save him. Mu Chuan's life, Mu Ze always put first. (So ​​the first Mu Ze would never give Mu Chuan poisonous wine) If he is as cold as Mu Ze, then Mu Chuan will only have deeper feelings for Mu Ze. He can deny everything Mu Ze has done to achieve his goals, but he has never denied Mu Ze's goodness to him. Then, from this point of view, Mu Chuan's feelings for An Ran are a little more complicated. Let's see what the fuse of Muze's death is. General Xiao's death. Due to the emperor's investigation, Mu Ze was told that he could not imagine the throne, and was stimulated. In the end, the assassination failed, and he pretended to rebel and seek death. General Xiao's death was planned by An Ran alone. It can be said that Mu Ze's death was driven by An Ran, and Mu Chuan witnessed all this with his own eyes. I'm here to say that Mu Chuan's feelings for An Ran are a little more complicated. It doesn't mean that Mu Chuan doesn't love An Ran so much anymore, he's not really ignorant. He definitely wouldn't blame An Ran for the slightest bit. However, Mu Chuan's beloved brother went to death because of her lover, and the reason she did it was to protect Mu Chuan himself, how could Mu Chuan not feel pain. And An Ran would never understand. Mu Ze is the thorn in the hearts of the two of them. The closer they are, the more painful they are. Only time can melt them. Five years is neither short nor long.

 

Then I will talk about what I understand, the reason why Mu Ze asked Mu Chuan to kill himself. Based on Mu Ze's feelings for Mu Chuan, it is absolutely impossible for him to leave a shadow on Mu Chuan with his own death. Emotionally, it was his guilt for Mu Chuan that Mu Chuan asked his ninth brother to personally kill him, and it was also his moral judgment for Mu Chuan to judge him. Since Mu Chuan was a righteous man who wanted him to be good and was angry because of his evil deeds, then it was up to Mu Chuan to end his sins. From a political point of view, to let Mu Chuan kill himself is to give Mu Chuan his power in the court. Mu Ze was an anti-thief, and Mu Chuan killed his relatives righteously, which reflected Mu Chuan's integrity and cruelty in the courtroom. Then in the future, when Mu Chuan takes over the position of the prince, the minister will definitely bow his head. Because they will feel that if they do something unjust, Mu Chuan will definitely not show mercy. Mu Ze is the one who can definitely think of and do this. Since he pretended to force the palace, he was begging for death wholeheartedly. Before that, he could think of a way out for An Ran and leave a letter and a letter of divorce, then Mu Chuan, he would definitely consider it for him.


Back to the ending of An Ran and Mu Chuan. Fighting against fate is doomed to lose something. It is also destined that Fuliu Nian will not have a happy ending. Fortunately, An Ran's efforts were not rewarded at all, and his father, brother, and Mu Chuan survived after all. Enron was also free to flex its muscles in expanding shipping. And they, in this life, never missed it.
In the future, An Ran chose to go with Mu Chuan, and this choice was not perfect. An Ran was infertile and the emperor obstructed her, so she and Mu Chuan would not be smooth sailing in the future. But what does it matter? Having gone through so much, it is enough for the two of them to know each other and stay together. As for the difficulties they will encounter in the future, I believe that they will be able to work together. After all, they are so smart and so in love. In five years, she built a granary for him to realize his dream, and he escorted her and cleared obstacles. Although they can't see it, aren't An Ran's granary and the officers and soldiers sent by Mu Chuan all the affectionate feelings that the two of them wanted to talk about but couldn't express?

Finally, let me tell you about my vision for the future of the two. We are distressed that the two of them are not free, but Mu Chuan, the prince, can still go to Sucheng to take care of the rice every year. Then Mu Chuan, who became the emperor, couldn't open up a small field in the palace and continue his research? Even if he is not as idle as before, Mu Chuan can give An Ran more freedom. An Ran traveled the mountains and rivers, spreading the rice of Muchuan all over the place. And Mu Chuan was looking forward to it in the palace, just as he had been waiting for An Ran for the past five years. And this time, his heart is no longer the unknown when he will meet again. He knew that she would definitely come back to him.

Leia Mais

A Well- Written Fast-Paced and Exciting Story Packed with Amazing Characters & Romance

I tried this drama because the ost sounded heartbreaking even though I was not interested in this drama at all when I first heard about it. I am so glad I gave this drama a chance instead of making a judgment on it and giving up on it without even trying. Once I tried the first episode, I knew I was wrong before and that this drama had the potential. I would have never known what I missed out on if I hadn't given this drama a try. Now that I finished binging the 30 episodes, I am so sad it is over and I have to say goodbye to Mu Chuan and An Ran. :((

This drama really surprised me with its reasonably paced plot, storytelling, and casting choices. I felt like every episode was exciting and there weren't any filler scenes. I couldn't stop myself from going on to the next episode every time I finished one. I especially loved how they incorporated the flashbacks into the new timeline because that is how you tell a flawless story without wasting any precious screen time. Every scene had its reason and connection to the past. The filmography techniques were also done very nicely. They used some narration for some scenes with the characters painted and those parts really added to the story. Also, I did not notice any obvious plot holes or dumb plot tools which is so good! Every scheme was well-written and logically thought out from that character's point of view. I was on the edge of my seat for so many moments of this drama and there were many times I did not see what was coming- which was super exciting. This is the key reason why the drama was so good because there was no dumb parts- everything flowed smoothly. I am surprised about this because as a time travel drama it is very difficult to pull that off. Another key is that none of the characters were stupid or written flatly without any depth. I liked how An Ran was a strong female lead and that Mu Ze was more than your typical antagonist while Mu Chuan was more than the male lead. Every character was written with a lot of thought and excellently played by their respective actors. Even the supporting roles were well-written, such as Ling Xi and Dong Qing, and other villain roles. I could understand their motives and they made some very unpredictable moves that I never saw coming.

More importantly, I think that they cast the right people for all the roles. Xing Fei really brought out An Ran to life and I hadn't expected her to be so good at the crying and emotional scenes. Her acting pulled me into the story deeper and I kept emphasizing with An Ran. I cried many times when I saw her cry. She showed me through this role that she can do more than those cringy sweet drama roles and move toward these serious and deeper characters. I now really want to see her in another modern or historical drama with a complex character like An Ran again. She really proved to me and the audience that she can be more than the sweet romance main character. Next, Zhai Zi Lu was so adorable and lovable as Mu Chuan! I haven't seen any of his previous works but this role really showed me his potential. He needs to be cast in more dramas as the male lead and play more of these serious and melo roles. As a rookie actor, I was surprised that he conveyed the emotional scenes so well, especially his eyes, which really helped me fall into this story and the love line between An Ran and Mu Chuan. I really loved the chemistry between them and I wish I could see Xing Fei and Zi Lu in another project again. And Jing Chao was also so great at Mu Ze. As a villain of the story, I found Mu Ze had a deep background that Jing Chao did an amazing job at pulling off. He made Mu Ze more than a villain and I found myself understanding some of his decisions even though I sometimes really wanted to smack him for things he does. I never fully understood Mu Ze's choices but it was fun to watch him nonetheless thanks to Jing Chao. Mu Chuan and Mu Ze's bromance was also so good. I felt for their kinship and loved that one scene with the wooden bird and toys that Mu Ze made for Mu Chuan. I was very sad that they had the ending they had considering all the things they went through and how much they care for one another. Besides these main leads, I felt that all the other characters were casted well and I can't imagine the drama without those same people.

And now the music was SO GOOD! I can't explain how much every song hit me so hard every time it was played in the drama. It brought the emotions to life and made my heart hurt so much depending on the scenes. There were many moments where I cried for those characters and really felt like I was with them. I have been playing the songs on replay and I don't think the songs will ever stop making my heart hurt this way.

The visuals for the drama was also very nice. The characters' outfits looks nice and not cheap while the buildings looked pretty real. I could see that the production team really spent a lot of time on the sets and clothing design.

Leia Mais

It's not bad but....

I did enjoy most of the story and acting for the first 25 episodes but got disappointed on the last 5 episodes. Ending is sort of expected but the way it ended without elaborating enough about why she did end up having a second chance to redo everything and whether she saw MuZe differently when he was not a king. FL never told MuZe why she hated him so badly and also why she would never be able to love him "again." The Female Lead is pretty, not bad really. The Male Lead is alright, not my type. But the Second Male Lead MuZe was fun to watch for some reasons. In my opinion, more attractive than the first ML. Typically if I get my questions answered toward the end, this drama can go up to 9/10 but FL didn't talk about her first life to anyone I believe (maybe to her friend/maid). FL didn't show ANY appreciation to what MuZe did or would do for her. It would have been much more satisfying if MuZe knew that they were indeed a married couple in her first life and that they both did have a child together before. The ending was really disappointing when MuZe was dying, he did not have a moment with the FL and never got a chance to express his love deeply to her. But then, it was surprising that the brother (9th Prince, ML) had an very intense moment with MuZe. It was a good scene but I was waiting, waiting, and waiting for the FL to show up so MuZe could have a moment with her but NOPE. Nothing. For whatever reasons, I liked the MuZe's character and I was hoping that the FL was able to forgive his greediness/aggressiveness/ambitions and love him as a friend (if not as a lover). So sad...She didn't give him a chance. I did not feel the intense love/chemistry between the FL and the ML. On the other hand, MuZe's effort touched my heart...I will not watch this drama again since there's not much to remember by... Overall, it's not a bad one and I think you might be able to enjoy it if you are not expecting strong chemistry between the leads (kiss scenes, don't even think about it)...

Leia Mais

Ho ho. It was good

I just watch this one because I'm curious of Xing Fei. This is my first time watching her and honestly, I felt she did quite well especially those emotional scenes.

For the cast, most commendable character is Mu Ze. He is so perfect as Mu Ze because he has the charm and at the same time, he has an unpredictable, weird personality that made me want to watch. Im looking forward to what he'll do next. I also love Lu Anran. Although time travel or second chance concept isn't new, it was well written here.

Characters are not too dumb. Yes, fl has future knowledge advantage but it didn't undermine the villain's IQ. Even those harem issues are nicely written, I didn't feel that they only exist to infatuate to ml. They're using brains to devise schemes to get Mu Ze's attention. The story also didn't dwell too long there.

It was a satisfying watch. A little bit underrated drama.

Leia Mais

So worthy of binge watching

This is such an underrated drama. The story is fresh and different, totally unpredictable. Be prepared to cry your eyes out at the end for the 2nd ML. This story built all the characters so well and we have a strong FL as well. I wish the ending was a bit different but it was the most logical one. Sometimes we want a happy ending for all the characters, even the “villain” aka 2nd ML. Please don’t let the rating stop you from watching this drama. It really is really that great and one of the best ones I’ve watched this year. This is on a pretty equal level to love like the galaxy to me. They’re both so good in its own way. Give this one a try!

Ps if you watch this on YouTube, the English subtitles are awful. Just a heads up.

Leia Mais

Love It

This rating is relatively higher than my usual rating because this drama is not that hyped. Another plus because it has such a nice heavy plot. Not expected.

As others said, Mu Ze is the most outstanding character. Safe to say he is the one I look forward to. Also he is charming hahaha.

Mu Chuan is a bit meh. Idk if it is just because of bland character or facial features but I can't feel him as an actor. I don't think it's his fault tho but I always skip his parts.

Anran character is intelligent. I love it. Thank God for not giving me a damsel in distress fl.

Leia Mais

Poorly executed to the point where it becomes frustrating, but fun to roast

1. The theme of the story does not match how it plays out

There are a lot of tales about fate and the futility of rebelling against it. Oedipus Rex. Ragnarok. In China, the Tui Bei Tu was a real prophecy book which inspired a real Emperor to go on a massive massacre in order to prevent one of its prophecies, which still came to pass (ie, a female Emperor Wu Zetian interrupted his dynasty, but then she gave it back so I don't know what his problem was). Generally, though, if you're going to write a story about the fruitlessness of do-overs, there should be something about the character that had enough hubris to challenge fate. For example: if someone WANTED to go back in time and change everything, and then actively created a time machine/cast a spell/sacrificed first-borns, etc. If you're going to drag our FL INVOLUNTARILY back in time, however, then Fate itself was responsible for the repeat, in which case, why? If everything that happened should have happened, why did the universe itself propel Lu Anran back in time just to do everything over again? I normally forgive the mechanics of supernatural phenomena when it comes to writing, but literally no one asked for this. When I realized everything was just going to be the same as before, I was so bored. This isn't Lost Track of Time, this is Wasting Everyone's Time.

2. Pacing, Where Art Thou?

It's clear to me that Xing Fei chose this role to flex her drama skills. She normally portrays young women who are relatively collected and put together. At best, they get mildly distressed/aggravated, but rarely are they truly angsty. But 10 minutes of watching Xing Fei cry isn't the way to do this. If she's going to mope for a day and a night, you don't have to film her moping ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT. It's possible to cut forward. No one looks good enough to sustain such a long segment. These episodes are only 45 minutes long, we're not interested in lingering over a sobfest for almost a quarter of it. Further, the script has a tendency to make characters introspect when they really should be in action; ie, if someone is found dead, even if that someone is a loved one, the natural reaction is not feeling sorry for yourself, it's calling the police. If you found your best friend expired from blunt force trauma, wouldn't you want to figure out what led to that? No? You want to lay out a red curtain neatly on the ground and lie down next to it in a stupor to simulate your dead friend's corpse instead? Who does this? It's absurd. And then, because this show drags these ridiculous scenes out past the limits of anyone's attention-span, to move forward it employs the strangest time-skips I've ever seen. It's a low budget show, so they can't even be bothered to change outfits and hairstyles, all of the sudden we're five months out when it looks like the same day. They don't even change the lighting. It's so confusing that any limited immersion you might have had gets rudely interrupted because you're trying to reorient yourself. Ultimately, the director and editor have a poor understanding of what the audience needs to see at any given moment. They are constantly choosing the wrong thing to show; when we are ready to move on to see what happens next, they wax philosophical over the same scene for another 7 minutes. However, when we actually want to see what is going on right now, they jump forward 2 months and retroactively tell us all the things we missed. Whoever directed this thing should go back to school.

3. Intrusive OST

Pet peeve of mine: Songs with lyrics overlapping on-screen dialogue. You have words being spoken and words being sung in the background; which one am I supposed to listen to? It just becomes a cacophony of gibberish. Granted, a lot of shows do this for some reason. I suspect it has to do with limited soundtracks that they must disperse throughout multiple episodes, but it is never not ridiculous.

This show also has a tendency to use soundtracks the way 80s films used to. Sometimes the music would switch from one angsty piece to another mid-phrase. It often begins loudly too, to the point where it might startle you, and clearly indicates when you should start feeling sad in an incredibly melodramatic way. It's to the point where my friend and I exclaim "Cue music!" every time something sad was supposed to happen, and it always plays! It always plays.

4. FL's character is poorly written

It's hard to write a strong character. It's harder to write a strong FEMALE character in a period drama. I get it. But one key thing about strong characters is that, while they're allowed to cry and feel scared/helpless, they should be doers when something needs doing, not just mope on the side. Lu Anran supposedly accomplished all these things; she expanded her father's business empire despite facing down bandits and natural disasters, but these are things you are told. The Lu Anran on screen usually doesn't fit this description. On occasion, she gets her act together, but most of the time she's just in a self-pitying daze. It's clear to me that whoever wrote her character WANTED to write someone strong, but didn't know how strong people are defined. Everyone's allowed to feel sorry for themselves, but if you're trying to convince us that Lu Anran was competent in any way, you should probably double-check to see what competence requires on a fundamental level (hint: it means getting stuff done!)

5. Acting is decent for the script

Some people complained about the actors, but I don't think that was the problem. I wouldn't say the actors were Oscar-worthy, but considering what they were working with, I thought they did a decent job. FL and ML had pretty good chemistry. I agree with many that ML doesn't seem to have the chops to lead an ensemble, but his character wasn't written in a ML way. He was kind of useless and passive, playing into the "I'm a prince but I want to be a commoner because that's more honest" trope, which, considering the events of the story when this was happening, feels very immature. He was like a little boy who didn't want to become a man because being a man is too hard, with responsibilities and duties and having to do things you don't enjoy in order to support yourself. This was how he was written, though, so I don't fault the actor for that. FL can cry,, and glare stonily at people, which. Glad you flexed that, Xing Fei. I would never have guessed. I suppose from now on you can audition for roles that exercise your lacrimal glands. On a more serious note, though, Xing Fei added a certain maturity and grace to the character, which I don't think most actresses can. She certainly looked smart enough, even if she didn't act smart, but the latter's due to the script, not anything Xing Fei did.

SML definitely steals every scene he's in. People say he's not black or white. I disagree; he's definitely an evil character. I don't see any controversy about that. Sympathizing with someone doesn't make them less evil. Hitler grew up poor. He grew up without a father. He had to sleep on park benches and even spent time in jail. When he became a dictator, he fell in love with Eva Braun. Yes, Adolf Hitler did love someone. He even loved his mother enough that he allowed her Jewish doctor to escape Germany before systematically killing Jews. What, does this confuse people now, are we no longer sure if Hitler was a bad guy? Ultimately, everyone is good to some people at certain times. Even evil people. What matters is their bottom line. The difference between a good person and a bad one is there are certain things a good person will never do. Bad people can do good things, but they'll reverse course when it suits them, whereas a good person will continue to do good deeds even if it's hard. SML had the hots for FL and that made everyone melt, which, what? However, I do give SML props for giving the character so much charisma. His interpretation of the role is refreshing and delightful. A lot of villains are annoying, or you hate them too much to enjoy them, but SML here is someone who is interesting enough to capture your attention. He's a disgusting son-of-a-gun, but he's so much fun, partially because it's clear that the actor's having so much fun playing this character.

6. Good for roasting

The wallpaper backgrounds depicting 2D mountains. The polyester robes that these characters wear for weeks at a time. The lack of seasonal change. The rain when characters cry (lolz). The random narrator that pops in out of nowhere to recite things you already know, in this deep voice full of gravitas. The flashbacks to 2 minutes prior in the same episode, because the director's scared that our memory spans are as long as a goldfish's. This is one of those shows where you can do a Mystery Science Theater 3000 and it would be a good time. But, frankly, there are so many Cdramas where you can do this as well, so it's up to you, whether you want to waste your time.

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Reflections on Fate and Choices

Lost Track of Time is an entertaining and enjoyable period drama with a philosophical twist: the clash of Fate and personal choices in our life. Do we really choose the path of our life or is Fate more powerful than our choices? Lu Aran is a jolly privileged and naive girl who lives her life trusting too much her own good nature and doesn't consider that Evil hides where you least expect it. She believes herself lucky and happy but is it true? When she opens her eyes and sees the reality of her life, she cannot take it. But what if she had another chance? Can she change her life or is Fate too strong? Great performances from the three main characters. Costumes are beautiful. Loved the soundtrack too.
SPOILER
Jing Chao's performance is outstanding: he always brings a great depth to his characters, and several layers of feelings and reasonings. MuZe's Fate is to live a lonely cold life: he wasn't loved as a child and his father the Emperor never appreciates him. His greatest ambition is to become Emperor so he can bring justice to his dead mother. In order to do so he has to get rid of all his enemies and even of his allies. The only joy in his life is his relationship with his younger brother MuChuan who he wants to protect at all costs. He marries LuAran for her shipping company but he really falls in love with her.
In the first part of the story, it's not believable that he doesn't really care for her or for their son's death, because they were the only warmth in his life.
In the second part of the story, LuAran never explains him what happened in her previous life, so MuZe never really understands LuAran. I personally believe that at least at the end she should have told him.
Besides, in her previous life LuAran really loved MuZe and it's not believable that in her new life she never feels anything for him: certainly in the past, before finding out he was plotting against her family, she must have felt love and warmth from him or she wouldn't have stayed 10 years with him.
In the second part of the story, the authors did a good job portraying how MuZe has to follow his ambition, protect his brother, try to conquer LuAran while knowing that his brother loves her too: he has a lot on his plate!
This drama is good and I will certainly rewatch it.

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A great drama for the angst and hurt/comfort genre

This drama should come with a tiny warning: this drama is not for those seeking light-hearted romance and comedy. This drama is very angsty and occasionally we get the sweet romance between the FL and ML, but this drama overall has a heavy tone. After all, the main serious plot is about revenge and scheming. So, I warn you now: if you're not ready for angst and you don't like a lot of sadness, this is NOT for you.

This drama is for those who enjoyed dramas like "Goodbye My Princess" where there is a lot of tragedy and tragic moments. If you like tragedy, tragic characters, doomed fates, fighting against the inevitability, and plotting, I'd recommend this drama. If you enjoy irony, this drama delivers.

Summary: In the first life, Lu Anran falls in love with Mu Ze and have a sweet beginning--but a tragic end. When she gets the miraculous chance to start over, she is no longer the naive woman she was before. Knowing the true face of Mu Ze and how everything will turn out, Lu Anran begins her second life planning her revenge and protection of her family--while also learning who really loved her wholeheartedly this whole time.

I think this drama did well in making you care about all three leads and care about their relationships to each other. Watching this drama, I was really invested in all three of them: Lu Anran's sweet romance with Mu Chuan, Mu Chuan's brotherhood with Mu Ze, and Mu Ze's fucked up yet compelling relationship with Lu Anran. All three dynamics were interesting to watch, which made all the angst bearable.

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